Trick or Treat
by Lychee2
Summary: A costume party, some drunken thugs, and a case of mistaken identity leave Sano in Saitous' debt...
1. Dress for Success

Hello! And welcome to my first ever fanfic! Trumpets blare, fireworks explode, confetti flies...  
  
I originally started this for Queen Yokozuna's SaiSa special challenge. However, it soon took on a life of it's own and refused to be completed in time for the deadline.  
  
I decided to simply take my time and write it properly rather than try to hurry up just to get it in for the contest. (Translates to "has been sitting in my computer since last year gathering dust".)  
  
It started just from Sano's point of view but soon Saitou-san was whining for equal time.  
  
_Saitou_- "I did not whine. I merely pointed out that if you wanted someone of intelligence in this story you should include my point of view. Besides, it rounds out the story and clears up some actions that would otherwise seem quite out of character."  
  
_Sano_- "Wait, you sayin' I'm stupid?"  
  
_Saitou_- "Do I even have to say it, ahou?"  
  
_Sano_- raises fists "Listen temee..."  
  
Uh, boys? Put a cork in it! This is my intro, okay? Sheesh!  
  
Anyway, this is a lemon and yaoi. That means beautiful men doing wanton things to each other. Yes kiddies, that means kissing, groping, copping a feel, feeling a cop, swapping spit, getting naked and doing the horizontal mambo. If you don't like sex between men...then GO FIND ANOTHER FIC TO READ. You have been warned! I welcome reviews and critiques; flames will be fed to my dogs. They'll eat anything, really. You want a list of the things they've consumed? It ain't pretty.  
  
So, lovely people, please read. I do hope you enjoy it. Let me know either way. I'm from New England, I can take it! Thanks a bunch!  
  
Ja ne! Lychee (well, Lychee2 on and Lychee SSJ on MediaMiner)  
  
Whoops! Almost forgot. This '_blahblahblah' _denotes Sano's thoughts, this / _blahblahblah _/denotes Saitou's thoughts. The regular stuff in quotes is vocalized speech. Got it? Good. Oh, and I apologize for any spelling or grammar errors. There shouldn't be too many, unlike some authors I actually use a dictionary. It's just a little pet peeve of mine. Okay, so, once again enjoy!  
  
Senseless disclaimer; I'm not making any money off of this (che', like anyone would pay to read my ramblings) and, I do not own Rurouni Kenshin; DUH! If I did it let's just say Saitou would've used an entirely _different _sword to stab Sanosuke with, ya know what I mean? Mwah-ha-ha-ha-ha!!

* * *

Sagara Sanosuke strolled along the darkened streets of Tokyo, whistling lightly. Well, stroll was really too strong a word. Swayed, glided perhaps. After all, one did not take long strides while wearing a kimono and geta sandals. It wasn't very ladylike, or possible even. He smiled to himself as he remembered the look on Kenshin and Kaoru's faces earlier that night.  
  
_'Ha! And she didn't think I could pull it off. Showed her!'  
_  
[A few days earlier]  
  
Originally he'd thought the idea seemed silly. He didn't quite understand this Western custom. Just what the heck did dressing up in costumes have to do with a harvest festival anyway? But, everything Western seemed to be in vogue at the moment and the mayor had decided it would be fun to celebrate this Haro-eeng thing. It was open to all and there would be free food, music and prizes for the best costumes. The free food had already piqued his interest and the Kenshin-gumi were all going to attend. So, he'd decided to go as well. Yahiko had immediately begun pestering him about what his costume would be. He briefly considered going as Captain Sagara but quickly decided against it. He wasn't an idiot, after all.  
  
Kaoru had started in about how the whole _point _was to dress as something or someone completely different and unexpected, something you'd never do normally; even better if you weren't recognized. She and Kenshin had some kind of American themed costumes planned, she'd smiled smugly and said he'd have to wait and see. Besides, he couldn't _possibly _come up with a way to fool them...  
  
He left the dojo trying to decide on a costume. The party was at the end of the week, so he only had a few days to come up with something.  
  
_'Hmmm. Something different and unexpected huh? Maybe I should go as Saitou. Hah! Stupid cricket man.'  
_  
He smirked at the thought of himself dressed like the stoic policeman. His thoughts were interrupted by someone calling his name.  
  
"Sanosuke! Hey, Rooster!"  
  
He stopped walking and turned to the voice. Megumi was waving to him from the doorway of the clinic. A brilliant idea came to him and he smiled sweetly as he sauntered over to the lady doctor.  
  
"Hey fox-lady. I wonder if you can help me out..." _'I'll show the little missy a thing or two...'_

* * *

And so it begins... I know this is a ridiculously short chapter but I wanted to make sure I was posting this properly. Anyways, a few points I'd like to make.  
  
First, I am by no means an expert on Japan, writing or anything else for that matter. There's going to be innaccurasies throughout this fic.  
  
Second, there will be OOC-ness. I'll try to keep it to a minimum but I'm not making any promises. Don't worry, Saitou is still a sneaky bastard, although Sanosuke spends a lot of time blushing. But I like him like that; a flustered Roosterhead is just so darn cute!  
  
Third, I am American. I speak English. Therefore I write in English and the characters will speak in English. However! There are a few words in Japanese that I will use because they just work better at keeping the feel of the characters right. It just sounds better to have Saitou say "Ahou" than "moron". But there won't be whole sentences in Japanese suddendly popping up in the middle of a conversation. (don't you hate that?)  
  
Finally, please review makes big puppy eyes at readers . Let me know what you like, what you don't like, what you're confused about...whatever. Just let me know you're out there! 


	2. I feel pretty, oh so pretty

The night of the party arrived. Kenshin and Kaoru wandered amongst the costumed revelers trying to find Sanosuke. It was hard to discern familiar faces amid the sea of costumes. They spotted princesses, samurais, various animals, pirates, and mythical creatures. One bickering couple was even dressed as a miko and a red clad dog demon.  
  
"Where _is _that rooster head?" Kaoru murmured, standing on tiptoe to scan the crowd. She spotted a desert bandit, a three-eyed god and a monkey boy, but not the former fighter for hire.  
  
"He said he would be here, that he did." soothed Kenshin. Yahiko was off with Tae and Tsubame, leaving them alone to search for their missing friend.  
  
"Oh, look! There's Miss Megumi." cried Kaoru, waving at someone.  
  
"Are you sure?" asked Kenshin, peering into the crowd.  
  
"Yes," said Kaoru with a laugh, "_look _at her."  
  
The doctor was making her way towards them. She was wearing a lovely russet colored kimono and black gloves. Two red pointed ears peeked out from her hair and as she swerved to avoid another guest, they caught a glimpse of a furry red tail behind her.  
  
"Didn't she know this was a _costume _party?" Kaoru giggled quietly.  
  
Megumi smiled as she approached the couple. "Well you two certainly look different. I almost didn't recognize you tanuki; you look much more civilized than usual. Oh-ho-ho." She laughed at Kaoru's scowl. "Of course, Sir Ken, your hair gave you away."  
  
The rurouni smiled. "Well then, at least Sano should have no trouble finding us. Although we haven't seen him yet, that we have not."  
  
Kenshin was, for once, not wearing his usual hakama and sandals. Instead, he had on dark trousers and boots. Leather chaps, a plaid shirt, leather vest and a duster coat had replaced his worn kimono. His hair was tied back in a loose but tidy braid and was topped by a worn leather hat.  
  
Kaoru's hair hung in two braids framing her face and a white stripe was painted on each cheek under her eyes. Her dress was made of fringed buckskin, adorned with feathers and beads. Soft leather boots covered her feet and a shawl was draped loosely across her shoulders. All in all, she made a very cute Indian maiden to Kenshin's cowboy.  
  
"So, Megumi, do you know what Sano's wearing?" inquired Kaoru.  
  
Megumi smiled knowingly. "I have a general idea, but I didn't see the final result. Besides, I promised I wouldn't tell. He really wanted to surprise you. Let's wander around, he's probably by the food." she chuckled.  
  
The three of them strolled over to where the food stands were. It was very crowded and they were having a hard time avoiding people. "Oh!" a woman exclaimed, bumping into Kaoru's back, and nearly knocking her down.  
  
"Gomen! I didn't mean to bump into you. Are you all right?"  
  
Kaoru turned to the apologizing woman. "I'm fine. It was an accident, it's quite crowded after all."  
  
The woman was tall and willowy, dressed in a scarlet kimono with black trim and white and gold cherry blossoms, and a gold and white obi. Shiny chestnut brown hair was held back from her face by a red ribbon and just touched her shoulders. Her dark, almond shaped eyes were lightly lined with kohl and red painted lips were her only makeup, yet it gave her an innocent sensuality Kaoru had never been able to achieve so artlessly. She moved with an easy elegance that made Kaoru even more envious. She hated her instantly.  
  
The woman spoke; her voice low and sultry, like warm spiced honey. "I was supposed to meet some friends of mine but they seem to be confused." She laughed softly. "Perhaps you could help me find them?" She smiled at Kenshin, batting her lashes.  
  
"Uh..." The rurouni looked nervously at Kaoru, who was now scowling.  
  
The stranger stepped between the couple, touching Kenshin's arm lightly. "This place is just _so _crowded, and I'm afraid I'll get lost. Or worse." she said softly, giving his arm a little squeeze.  
  
The rurouni blushed deeply. "O-of course." he stammered. "It wouldn't be proper to let a young lady wander about alone in a crowd like this, that it would not. What do they look like, these friends of yours?" He smiled at the young woman.  
  
"Kenshiiin." pouted Kaoru, annoyed that he was so eager to help this (attractive) stranger.  
  
The taller woman pursed her lips in thought. "Let's see, there's a very crafty fox-lady, an ill-tempered raccoon girl," her eyes twinkled as she leaned forward and tapped Kenshin's nose with a lacquered nail, "...and a silly little rurouni."  
  
THUMP! THUMP! Two bodies hit the ground, eyes swirly.  
  
"ORO?!"  
  
"SANO!?!"  
  
Sanosuke laughed as he helped the stunned couple up. Kenshin stared at his friend. He couldn't believe how... **good **Sanosuke looked. Or that he hadn't seen through the costume. He shook his head in amusement. "Well, you certainly fooled us, that you did."  
  
Kaoru grabbed the ex-gangster and turned him around to get a good look. "I can't believe it's you! Look at your hair! How the heck did you get it to stay down?" she exclaimed.  
  
"A whole lot of brushing and some oil." Sano said with a slight grimace. "Anyway, Megumi helped me out. The outfit belongs to her."  
  
The doctor frowned slightly. "Humph, if I had known it was going to look better on you than me, I would've said no." she said wryly.  
  
The rest of the night was spent enjoying the festivities, with few incidents occurring. Yahiko had laughed himself silly at the sight of the "mighty Zanza" in a dress and took every opportunity to tease him, especially as the kimono restricted Sano's ability to give chase. Tae had been duly impressed and even suggested if he _really _wanted to pay off his tab he could work as a waitress at the Akabeko, as long as he could control his temper. After all, the Akabeko was known for it's good service.  
  
One rather persistent fellow dressed in the dark robes of a monk kept asking Sano to bear his child, until finally a wandering hand and a squeeze earned him a slap that sent him flying across the fairground. All in all, it was a very pleasant evening.

* * *

Woot! Another chapter done. So, anyone recognize the cameos? They were pretty obvious. There were six other anime characters (not from RK) amongst the partygoers. There's also a reference to a great SaiSa fic (one of my favs).  
  
Lookie! My very first review!! (_fox ears and tail twitch madly_)  
  
**Alet-san**; My first reviewer! I'm so excited! So, it took a little longer for me to post than I thought it would since doesn't allow asterisks (why I don't know). So I had to change them all to single quotes for Sano's thoughts. Oh well. The story is about halfway or more done; I'm having a little trouble with the bit leading directly into the lemon. I have most of the juicy bits done, although I'll have to tone it down for the R rating. The full NC-17 version will be elsewhere (coughmediaminercough). Thanks for taking a look. Oi! Anyone who hasn't read Alet-san's "Healing broken Things" must do so at once! Fly my monkeys! Fly!  
  
**Farstrider**: Hello!! Yeah, I know, short chapter. But, it's at least as long as some of you-know-who's have been (_glances at first reviewer_) . I like to think of it as quality versus quantity...although I can't guarantee either. Ooh! I just checked to see who you were (cause the name seemed familiar) I loved your fic "West of the Sun, East of the Moon". That's the name of one of my favorite fairy tales you know. And you did a great job re-telling Ladyhawke.  
  
**Saukra Butterfly**; Hiya! Thanks, I plan to finish. I hope it keeps you all entertained.


	3. Strangers in the Night

Frikkin hell, I hate computers. So, I added some reviewer responses to the end of this chapter the other day. And after doing that, I could no longer access this chapter...or the rest of part one!! I tried on three different computers and got a big fat NOTHING!! Thankfully I had printed it out a few months ago. Of course, since the time I'd done that and now I had added to the end of part one and now I have to try to remember what I'd written. No biggie, it'd only taken me weeks of wracking my brain to come up with a decent end. AARRRGGHHHH! So, updates will be slower as I have to retype the **entire** **frikkin** **thing**. Not to mention I'm not actually done with part two yet. Sigh, I'm sure at least some of you can relate.

* * *

Indeed, the night had been a success. None of them had won a prize, but Sanosuke had fooled the Kenshin-gumi. And the fact that he made, quite frankly, a sexier woman than Jou-chan was the icing on the cake. He was so absorbed in his internal gloating he failed to notice the hungry eyes watching him from a nearby alley.

The leering face that suddenly appeared in front of him snapped him out of his reverie. He scowled a bit and tried to step around the pock-faced stranger, but was thwarted when the man moved with him, blocking his way.

"Well now." The stranger ran his eyes over Sano's body. "What have we here? A pretty young thing out here all alone. Tsk, tsk. Missy, don't you know the streets aren't safe here at night?" He smiled, showing crooked, discolored teeth.

Sano stepped back with a grimace. _'What a creep.'_ "Get out of my way."

Pock-face smiled again, though it didn't reach his eyes. "Hey now." He said, raising his hands up in a falsely placating gesture. "No need to be so hostile. I'm just trying to be friendly." He took a step toward the young fighter, who stepped back warily.

"I don't need any more friends."

"That's a real shame 'cause you look like the real friendly type." He took another step forward. "In fact, "Step. "You look like the kind of girl we really like." Step.

Sano had been backing up with each step by the leering stranger. _'We? Uh-oh.'_ He suddenly realised he'd been herded towards the alley mouth. _'Aw, shit!'_ Footsteps from behind caused him to snap his head towards the sound. A greasy haired man launched himself from the darkness to grab Sano, pinning his arms to his sides. A dirty hand was clamped over his mouth before he could shout.

"Mmmmpphh!"

Pock-face raced forward and grabbed Sano's legs around the knees. The two of them hauled the struggling fighter into the dim alley with some difficulty. Even hampered by the restrictive kimono he was still very strong and they were having a hard time keeping a good hold on him. He should've been able to break free soon. Unfortunately for Sanosuke their two companions were waiting for them in the alley.

He found himself held securely by the three others as Pock-face leered at him once more. He reached a grimy finger out to trace Sano's cheekbone. "Now, why don't you show me just how friendly you can be, hmmm?"

Sano's eyes narrowed. "Phrk-goo." he muttered around the hand.

Pock-face smirked evilly. "That's not very ladylike sweetheart." He leaned in until they were nose to nose. His fetid breath was hot on Sano's face. "Let's put that pretty mouth of yours to better use, shall we?" He licked his lips hungrily.

Sano's eyes went wide in horror. _'He's **not** going to...'_ The hand disappeared and was replaced by a foul mouth, as Pock-face pressed himself up against Sanosuke, grinding his hips into him. He fought the urge to scream, as that would give the disgusting tongue licking his lips access he did **_not_** want to grant.

Sanosuke tried to wrench away but to no avail. The tight confines of the kimono combined with the restraining hands clamped around him made escape impossible. Pock-face continued his unwelcome assault on Sano's mouth, trying to force his tongue past tightly closed lips. He continued to rub himself against Sano, pressing him into the men behind him, who also ground themselves against his trapped body.

Sanosuke was thoroughly disgusted. The smell and feel of the unclean men against him made him sick. _'Ugh! Filthy pigs!'_ It nearly made him ashamed to be male. He had to get away, and quickly. When they discovered he wasn't a woman, he knew he'd be beaten severely, and most likely raped anyway. As groping hands began tugging on his obi he redoubled his efforts to escape. He tried to kick out but was unbalanced by the unfamiliar sandals and voluminous cloth, and only succeeded in nearly toppling over.

Pock-face roughly grabbed a fistful of hair at Sano's nape and yanked his head back, elicting a pained cry from the young man. His attacker took the opportunity provided to thrust his tongue deep into the startled fighter's mouth.

Sano gagged as the sour taste of old, cheap sake filled his senses. The hands holding him tightened as he struggled furiously to escape. He was desperate to get away. A half-formed idea began to emerge and he latched on to it. As much as the thought revolted him, he tried to pretend defeat. He stopped struggling and willed his body to go slack, trying not to vomit at the feel of the slimy tongue roaming through his mouth. Pock-face thrust forward eagerly, sweeping his tongue across the roof of Sano's mouth. He repressed a shudder and tried to remain limp in his captors' arms.

After what seemed an enternity, he felt the hold on him loosen, and hands began to roam over his arms, hips and backside; squeezing and groping. The sickening tongue licked the roof of his mouth once more.

'_It's now or never...'_

He bit down, **_hard_**. Pock-face shrieked in pain and flung himself back from Sano's face.

"**PHUGGIN BIDTH!!**"he screamed, spitting droplets of blood.

Sanosuke snapped his head backward against the man behind him, connecting with a loud "crack!", sending the man staggering back. The other two tried to reestablish the iron grip they'd had, but before they could, he launched himself forward hoping to bowl them over and make his escape. As he lunged toward what he hoped was freedom, his sandal caught the edge of a rock and his foot twisted sharply, sending him crashing sideways to the ground. He found himself on his stomach, pinned under the men at their leader's feet.

The pockfaced rapist wiped the blood off his mouth harshly. "No more fucking around."he growled. "Undress her."

Clammy hands began to slide the kimono up his legs. Sanosuke lashed out wildly, trying to buck the men off him. "**NO**! Get the fuck off me!" _'Oh shit! Oh shit! Oh **SHIT**!'_

"Hold her down, dammit!"

A hard punch to the back of his head had Sano seeing stars. He still struggled until a vicious kick to his temple sent his senses reeling. His vision tunneled down to a pinpoint and his ears rang. He could barely hear the men's voices buzzing unintelligibly. He moaned helplessly as his head spun, too dizzy to do more than try to crawl away. He barely made it a foot before passing out.

"Get that damn kimono off her so we can enjoy our new 'friend'."

A steely voice cut through the darkness. "I don't think so."

* * *

I am an evil bitch, an evil evil bitch! (dances madly) Hah! It's finally **_my_** turn to use the hated cliffhanger! Mwah-hah-hah-ha cough-hack-wheeze... I need to work on my diabolical villian laugh.

Tea and cake for everyone who got the guest partygoers right (Kagome (or Kikyo) and InuYasha, Tien, Goku, and Yamcha, and Miroku my favorite lech). The SaiSa fanfic referrence was for "The Akebeko's Good Service".

Alet-san; One word my They have an **_awesome_** anime selection, and it's all DVD's so you have the option of subtitles. I'm on the last RK volume and plan to watch Saiyuki next (drools). Then I'm going to delve back to my childhood and get reacquainted with Star Blazers. Squeal.

Maria Claire; Thank you so much. When I started this I hadn't read Saiyuki yet so yeah, it was DB.

Sakura Butterfly; Heh, your giddy up thought made me snort coffee (ouch). Ya know, Sano _would_ look a bit like 'Tari with his hair down... I hope I don't disappoint you all.

**Sanolvr**; Thanks! I'll try, as long as it doesn't get too busy at work.

**Schwartzvold**; Glad you enjoyed it. :)


	4. chapter 3 and a half

Okay, so I feel a _little_ guilty about that last chapter end. Truth is, that wasn't were I had originally stopped it. I was just giddy with the idea of being in control. Here's the rest of chapter three.

* * *

"Get that damn kimono off her so we can enjoy our now 'friend'."

A steely voice cut through the darkness. "I don't think so."

The men turned to the intruder. A tall thin figure stepped from the shadows. The spark of a match brought up to light a cigarette illuminated a narrow face. Fierce golden eyes burned at them.

"Che! It's just one stinkin' cop."sneered the leader of the attempted rapists. "C'mon." He pulled a knife from his belt, the others following suit. "Let's get him!" He and his comrades charged the lone policeman. It was over within seconds.

Saitou wiped the blood from his katana on the leaders robe, sneering in disgust. He hated rapists. It wasn't worth the bother of putting them in jail, this was much easier. Less paperwork too.

A pained moan caught his attention. The intended victim was moving, shakily trying to get up. He swiftly moved to help.

Sano groaned as his head throbbed painfully. He managed to crawl onto his hands and knees. He paused; hoping the wave of dizziness would pass quickly. When an arm suddenly circled his shoulders, he panicked. "Aaaahhh!"he shrieked, "get away!" He wrenched himself out of the loose embrace and spun around, scuttling backwards.

"Calm down. I'm not going to hurt you."

The voice was stern, not unkind, but definately used to being obeyed. And ... familiar? He wasn't sure; his ears were still ringing slightly. Sano lifted his gaze to the figure standing before him. Blue, tall, and thin. That was all he could make out of the blurry sillouette. Although _something_ was nagging at the edge of his mind. He tried to get his eyes to focus but they stubbornly refused to do so. The figure spoke again. "I'm a police officer. Your attackers have been...taken care of. Are you all right?"

Sano nodded, putting a hand to his aching head. "J-just dizzy." He blinked owlishly at the officer. He could now make out the uniform although details were still a bit blurry. The policeman reached out a gloved hand to him.

"Let's get you out of here, hmm?" Sano took the offered hand and allowed the officer to help him to his feet. He swayed a little but remained upright, thanks in part to a firm hand at his back, steadying him. He blinked a few times, as his eyes seemed to suddenly clear. He looked up into the face of his rescuer.

"SAITOU!?"

* * *

Oh yeah, that's a **_much_** better place to leave off....(runs away, ducking flying objects)

Alet-san; Okay, so last time part of my response got eaten . I don't know why. What I was _trying_ to say was you should check out Netflix. They have an awesome anime selction. I worked my way through RK (haven't gotten to the OVAs yet) and saw the first five episodes of Saiyuki. Oooh yeah.... four more for the harem. Oh, five, can't forget Kou.

Elk-InnocentAura; whew, that's a mouthful! Thanks, I'm glad you like it. Hey, write whatever pairring you like. I'm strictly a SaiSa girl myself, but Alet-san up there wrote a truly **_fabu_** Aoshi x Katsu fic.


	5. A Rooster by any other name

(last chapter)

He looked up into the face of his rescuer.

"SAITOU!?"

* * *

The amber eyes narrowed. "Not too many people know that name miss. Just how is it you do?" 

"Errr..." _'Smooth Sano. You're dressed up like a girl, how the hell would she know him? He's still undercover as Fugita. Stupid.'_ "My, uhm, cousin, told me about him. You match the description so I just assumed..." He looked down at the ground. _'That's it, I'm dead.'_

"Your cousin?"

Sano looked up, startled. _'He's not actually buying this is he?'_ "Um, yeah, I'm here visiting him."

Saitou lit another cigarette. He took a drag and looked at Sano. "This 'cousin' of yours, does he have a name?"

"H-hai. Sagara. Sagara Sanosuke."

Saitou paused, cigarette halfways to his lips. "The Roosterhead?" The cigarette continued its' journey. "Hnn." He exhaled a stream of blue-gray smoke. "I wasn't aware he had any family." He fixed his eyes on Sanos. "Just what is your name, anyway?"

"Ah...Sa-Suki." Sano shifted nervously under the scrutiny. He could feel the flush cover his face. The corner of Saitous' mouth twitched upward.

"Sukiii..." He seemed to almost **_taste_** the name as it rolled of his tongue. The sound of it sent a shiver racing up Sanosukes' spine. Saitou looked the fighter up and down slowly before focusing once more on his eyes. He took a long drag of his cigarette before exhaling leisurely. "I find it hard to believe you're Sagaras' cousin."

Sano felt his stomach drop. _'Oh crap. I'm gonna die in a dress.'_

"You're much too pretty to be related to that ahou."

'_Huh?'_ Sano stared at the gold eyes in shock. _'D-did he just say I was pretty?'_

He felt a strong urge to "oro". If ever there was a situation that warrented that ridiculous sound, this was it. He flushed deeper as the gold eyes stared back at him. This situation was just too uncomfortable and strange. He needed to go home, get out of this dress, and forget the entire night ever happened...especially the last 30 seconds.

"Uhm, thanks?" Sano smiled nervously. "Thank you for your help and all, but I really just want to get home." He stepped away to walk out of the alley and nearly fell over as his ankle erupted in pain. He didn't hit the ground though. Instead he found himself clinging to the front of Saitous' jacket, the officers' arms supporting him.

"You're hurt."

"Must've twisted my ankle in the struggle. I'll be fine, I, that is, my cousin lives close by."he hissed out between clenched teeth.

Sanos' eyes went round as Saitou suddenly scooped him up into his arms.

"Ack! What're you doing?"he shrieked.

"You're hurt, I'm taking you to the clinic." Saitou said calmly.

"No! I don't need to go there!" Sanosuke yelled, flailing his arms and legs, trying to get down. "Put me down!"

Saitou tightened his grip on the struggling fighter. "You _do_ need to go there, you're injured."he repeated firmly, walking out of the alley.

"No! Just let me go! I don't want to go to the clinic!" Sanos' hands beat against Saitous' chest. "Just take me home dammit!" A fist connected with the officers jaw.

Saitou stopped. He glared at the young man in his arms. "Stop. Hitting. Me."

Sano swallowed a lump in his throat. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he stared into the burning gaze of the officer.

He took a deep breath and glared back. "Put me down. I'm not going to the clinic and I don't need to be carried."

They stood there for a moment, glaring at each other.

"Fine."said Saitou, easing Sanosuke to his feet. He kept one arm wrapped around the youngsters' waist and draped Sanos' arm across his shoulders. "But I _will_ accompany you home and dress your injury. **_Or_**," he held up a hand as Sano opened his mouth to protest, "you will go to the police station for assaulting an officer." His tone brooked no argument.

Sanosuke scowled at him. "Fine."he said curtly, trying to tug the arm off his waist.

"Stubborness must be a family trait." Saitou said with a wry grin. The grin faded as Sanosuke continued tugging at his arm. Saitou tightened his grip slightly. "Do you want to walk on your own or do I have to carry you like a sack of rice?"he snapped.

Sanosuke had a mental image of himself being flung over the skinny cops' shoulder. Now, _that_ would be embarrassing. He gave up and looked away from the officer with a disgusted sniff.

'_Jerk. You gotta play Good Samaritan now? Man, why does this shit always happen to me?_'

As Saitou escorted Sanosuke home he asked 'Suki' about her visit. How long was she staying, did she like Tokyo; just idle small talk. Sano tried to answer as simply as possible, he just wasn't up for trying to remember elaborate details. He was postive this would turn around to bite him in the ass eventually. Besides, he was having trouble concentrating. Aside from being in pain, it was damned disconcerting to have Saitou speaking pleasantly to him. It was just so _weird_ to be having a civil conversation with him. He hadn't thought the cop was even _capable _of interacting with people in a normal way. Usually their interactions consisted of insults, shouting, and/or threats and ended with Sano either kissing dirt or screaming at Saitous' back, sometimes both.

'_Well, really he's being polite to 'Suki'. To me he'd still be his usual bastard self. Better enjoy it while I can, it'll never happen again.'_

Sano glanced sideways at the officer as they walked. He'd never really had the chance to study the Wolf of Mibu up close and so he took the opportunity provided. His eyes traced the strong line of his jaw and prominent cheekbones, past his unusual eyes and up to those stubborn strands of hair hanging over his face. He was not exactly what one would call classicly handsome or pretty, like Aoshi and Kenshin. Striking. That was a word that suited him. He had an intensity about him that overwhelmed the triviality of physical appearance. Although, that aspect of him was not disappointing either. His body was lean, molded of tight compact muscle. There was nothing soft about Saitou Hajime. From his piercing gaze, predatory grin and deadly grace, everything about him screamed 'beware!'. He exuded danger from his every pore, yet somehow it only made him even more intriguing.

Sanos' eyes dropped down to the cops' mouth. It was not set in its customary scowl; rather, there was the barest hint of a ghost of a smile there. He wondered what the cop would look like with a genuine smile on his lips, not the fake one Fugita wore. Or maybe laughing, a real laugh, instead of his usual sardonic chuckle.

'_Hmph. His face'd probably crack from the shock.'_ A small grin crept onto his face at the thought. He realized abruptly that they'd stopped walking. And that he'd been caught staring at Saitous' mouth. _'Oh shiiitt.'_

* * *

Authors' Notes/Reviewer Responses (because I love you all) 

I know, a crappy place to end it. Well, too bad. I'm tired and need to get some sleep.

So, I feel I should warn you all that the next update is not going to be for a while.

My husband has to go in for surgery (nothing serious, but he'll be out of work for a week or so). Also, one of our employees has gone back to school (damn collage!) so we're a little short handed at work. Plus, our busy season is coming up and I'll be working 8 or 9 hour days that feel like more like 14.

Not to mention church has started up again (yes, we take the summer off. It's great being a UU!), dance classes have begun, birthdays, holidays (I swear, _this_ year I'll get my shopping done before December, really.) and possibly loosing another employee (we're hoping he quits...or dies, we're not picky), plus my stinkin' laptop has been siezing up on me. I especially enjoy it when it just shuts itself off while I'm online...lots of fun.

And of course the little fact that I haven't actually finished writing the damn story.

Don't give up, I'm going to finish if it kills me. I just don't know how long it'll take. I can promise to update more than once a year. Seriously, I got an update alert to a story a couple of weeks ago that hadn't been updated since January. I'd forgotten I was even reading it.

So, my calendar is quite packed for the next couple of months. I most likely will not get to update until Halloween is over and done. I live and work in Salem, Massachusetts. We get something like 20,000 visitors Halloween weekend. Yeah, I'll be a little stressed. Happy Fall!!

Elk-InnocentAura; A whole box of Altoids? Ouch. So, you'll be minty fresh for like, the next six months or so...

Star of Hades; Glad you're enjoying it. Yeah, I'm looking forward to Saitous' reaction too...

Shiko; Goodness, I've reduced you to giggles! Glad you like it!

CrossedScarsX; My first WHOOT! Boo-yah! Say...any chance you'll be updating "The Game" anytime soon? I'll update if you do...

BH; I'm glad you like it so far. But I'm agraid the immediate future holds another short chapter and a long wait. Sorry dude.

Setsu; (ducks under table) Whah! You're yelling at meeee! (whines) Hmmm, has Saitou figured it out? Che! Like I'm gonna tell... Oh, and the puppy eyes don't work on me except from my own doggies, and even then it's iffy.

Baiken Seishino; Yup, I'm evil, it says so on my shirt. The DBZ and IY cameos were for a friend of mine. She decided one day the DBZ cast sounded like the punchline to a joke. "So, a desert bandit, a three eyed god and a monkey boy walk into a bar..."

Ladya C. Maxine; (snort!) Poetic review, cool! Erm, your sanity probably wants to kick my ass right now...


	6. What? No goodnight kiss?

He realized they'd stopped walking. And that he'd been caught staring at Saitous' mouth. '_Oh shiiitt..._'

The policeman in question raised an eyebrow at Sano. "Are you all right?" he asked.

Sano laughed nervously, his cheeks pink from embarrassment at being caught. "Eh-heh. Yeah, I was...eh...just trying to ignore my ankle, that's all." Actually, this was partially true. His ankle did feel like it was on fire. He hoped it was just a sprain and nothing more serious. He _really_ didn't want to have to explain what had happened to Megumi and the others. Nope, this was going into his "it never happened" file.

A small frown creased the cops' face. "Maybe I should carry you after all."

"No, no! It's okay. We're almost there anyway." Sano pointed ahead of them. "It's just up the street a bit at the end, the one with the bamboo chimes." They continued walking and quickly found themselves at his front door. He took a small lantern off a peg next to the door. "I'd better light this. I'd rather not have you trip over something and blame me...er, my cousin."

Saitou chuckled dryly and reached into his pocket for his matches. "Let me get that."

Sano sputtered a protest as he was pulled snugly against the cop. Saitou shushed him, "Don't worry, I won't let you fall, just relax." He struck a match and lit the lantern, not relinquishing his hold on Sano.

'_Yeah, relax, riiiiight.'_ He was in a dress, held tight against the infamous Wolf of Mibu like a lover. That thought wasn't relaxing at all. He was acutely aware of Saitous' arms around him, and his own arm around the cops' neck. He could feel the buttons on the police jacket even through the layers of his kimono. He'd never been this close to the ex-Shinsengumi before. Not that he'd wanted to be, of course. His nose was practically pressed into the crook of Saitous' neck. The faintly sweet smell of tobacco was mixed with a spicier scent that Sanosuke supposed was Saitou himself. He inhaled softly, curious. It was surprisingly pleasant.

He started when gold eyes turned to his. They were almost nose-to-nose. The light from the lantern bathed their faces in a warm yellow glow, softening the usually harsh lines of Saitous' face. His eyes seemed to gleam in the light. They had a faintly amused glint in them.

"Shall we go inside? We really should get that ankle taken care of."

Sanosuke gave a weak, embarrassed laugh. "Uh, yeah." He slid the door open and they stepped inside. _'What the hell were you **doing**, sniffing him? Jeez, you **are** a moron.'_

The lantern lit the interior of the shack enough for Saitou to see the futon in the corner. He led Sano over and gently lowered the injured fighter to the mattress. Sanosuke put the lantern on the floor next to the bed.

"There's a lamp over there on the table if you need more light." He pointed to the other side of the room. Saitou walked over and lit the lamp, then turned and surveyed his surroundings. The space had few furnishings, only the worn futon, small table, single plain chair, and a small cabinet in the corner. A huge broken sword hung on the wall near the cabinet. Over the table were some drawings, obviously done by Dr. Gensai's granddaughters. Saitou smirked at the white-clad stick figure with brown spiky hair. The place was surprisingly tidy; blankets and clothes were neatly folded near the futon, the tatami mats had been carefully patched (more than once), and there were even a few pots of herbs near the lone window. Saitou made a soft surprised grunt as his eyes scanned the room. He looked back at the young fighter. "It's much cleaner than I expected from the ahou. You must've done some housecleaning for him."

Sanosuke frowned at the cop. "No, actually, I have not." he said hotly, sitting up a little straighter. "It always looks like this. Just because he's poor doesn't mean he has no pride. He's not gutter trash, no matter what _you_ may think." He crossed his arms angrily over his chest, glaring at Saitou. _'Grrr, fucking psycho cop, always putting me down. Bastard.'_

Saitou smiled slightly, just a brief lift of one corner of his mouth. "Hnn. I suppose you're right. I apologize. I didn't intend to insult him, or offend you."

Sanosuke blinked in surprise. Saitou was...apologizing?

"Now, where does he keep his bandages? I'm sure he's got _plenty_ to spare." He rolled his eyes slightly.

Sanosuke let out a short laugh. "They're in the little cabinet there. I'm sure he won't miss a few."

Saitou smirked as he grabbed a roll of the cloth strips. "Well, I won't tell him if you don't." he said conspiratorially with a wink, heading back towards the futon. He knelt in front of Sano, took off his gloves and gently lifted the injured foot onto his lap. "Let's see just how bad it is." he said, sliding the sandal and sock off carefully. Sano hissed as Saitou had him slowly rotate his foot. The ankle was swollen slightly but hadn't bruised. It hurt like hell though. "It doesn't seem too bad. "He said quietly, lightly tracing his fingers over the injury. Sanosuke gasped at the soft touch. It sent a flurry of twinges through his stomach.

"Did I hurt you?" Saitou looked up.

"N-no. It's fine." Sanosuke blushed as their eyes met. He looked away, uneasy, and tried to quell the fluttering in his gut. _'Get a grip Sano! One night in a dress and yer acting like a friggin girl!'_

Saitou didn't seem to notice Sanos' discomfort as he carefully wrapped the sprain.

"You should be able to walk on it with no problem once it's wrapped. It'll most likely heal completely in a day or two if you take it easy." He finished and sat back on his heels, his hands lightly holding the ankle still resting on his lap.

They stared at each other in silence for a moment before Sano cleared his throat nervously. He wasn't sure he liked the way Saitou was staring at him. Actually, he was sure he didn't like the look he was getting, he just wasn't sure what it meant, exactly. "Uhm, thank you for helping me back here and wrapping my ankle." He blushed again as he realized it was still cradled in Saitous' hands. He gingerly pulled his foot off Saitous' lap and tucked it under the hem of his kimono.

"Perhaps I should remain here until the Ah...your cousin, returns."

Sanos' eyes went round. "What!? No, no, that's not necessary." _'Fuck no.'_ He laughed nervously, one hand absently rubbing the back of his head. "You know how he is, he won't be back till very late. I'm sure you've lots more important things to take care of..." _'People to beat up ,little kids to scare, small animals to kick.'_ There was no way in hell he could let Saitou stay.

"Hn. And just where is that rooster head anyway?" A frown creased the cops' mouth. "This is just like the brat, shirking his responsibilities. He's out drinking and gambling when he should've been with you. As you found out, this isn't the gentlest part of town. I'm going to have to teach him a lesson or two about duty." The amber eyes narrowed dangerously.

Sano made a mental note to avoid the Wolf for a week or two. "Please forget about it," he implored. "I arrived unannounced and didn't expect to be here this long. I saw no reason for him to change his plans on my account. Besides, I was with friends of his tonight, and thought it would be all right."

"The Kamiya girl and her lot?"

"Yes, that's right. It's not his fault."

"No, it's theirs." Saitou growled lowly.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Saitous' hand clenched into a fist. "They allowed you to walk back here unescorted, without the slightest thought of what might happen to an attractive young woman alone at night. _Damn Battousai..._" he growled the last part out.

'_Whoops. Sorry Kenshin'_

"Well, nothing _did_ happen, thanks to you." He leaned forward and lightly placed his hand over Saitous' fist with a genuine smile of gratitude. "Now please, I'd _really_ like to put this whole night behind me, ne?" A small part of Sanos' subconscious absently noted how soft the back of his hand was. _'Must be from wearing those gloves all the time.'_ He didn't realize the fist had relaxed until he suddenly felt it turn over under his hand, warm calloused fingers softly touching his palm. He inhaled sharply at the almost caress and quickly removed his hand from Saitous'. He looked away, uncomfortable.

Saitou stood up gracefully and tugged his gloves back on. "Well, it's late and you should get some rest. I'll see you tomorrow then." he said, turning to leave.

"What do you mean?" asked Sano, confused.

Saitou stopped at the door and looked back at the young fighter. "I'll have to fill out a report about the attack. So, you will need to come to the station to give me the details." He smiled apologetically at the stricken look he was getting. "I'm sorry, I know it's distasteful, but it has to be done."

"But, but. I can't come there! I, uh, I'm leaving tomorrow. Early." There was **_no_** **_way_** he was going to the police station dressed like this! No way!

"If you prefer, I could come here and take your statement. I'm usually in very early."

Sano just gaped at the policeman. That was an even worse idea. Saitou would expect to see both "Suki" and Sano. And if "Suki" didn't show up tomorrow, Saitou would probably come around looking for her. And most likely lecture (punctuated with his fists) Sano endlessly about letting his "cousin" get attacked, not to mention her not showing up for his precious reports. There was only one thing to do. He sighed in defeat; shoulders slumped. "Okay, I'll be there in the morning." He sighed heavily. _'Stupid costume party. I should've just gone as Captain Sagara in the first place!'_

Saitou slid open the door and stepped outside. Sano looked up as he turned to slide it closed again. "Good night Saitou. And, thank you." He may be an egotistical mantis-faced bastard, but he did save him from being raped, possibly killed.

He couldn't really tell in the darkness but he thought a small smile graced the cops' face. "Good night...Suki."

The door slid shut and Sano was left alone with his thoughts. He rubbed his arms absently. There was something about the way he'd said "Suki" that sent goose bumps over him. He frowned in annoyance and began to undress. _'Great. Now I gotta go out the daytime like this. If I get there early enough there shouldn't be too many people around. Argh! Can it get any worse?'_

It was with much mental grumbling he cleaned himself up and went to bed. He needed his sleep; it was going to be a _long_ morning.

* * *

Authors Notes;

So, next chapter is where Saitous' point of view comes in. After that, we'll get the thoughts of both bishies. Whoo-hoo, the voices in my head are multiplying. Also, the next chapter is the one I lost and had to completely re-write. That was a bitch. I had enough trouble thinking it up the first time. And still the whole I haven't actually completed the story thing. But I now have time to work on it a bit. Between the copious amounts of holiday baking I'm going to do.

So, I have survived October in Salem. We had approximately 60,000 visitors Halloween night. And they all came through our store...well, it seemed like it anyway. So dammed tired... It's fun at the beginning but by Halloween we're all like,_ "Yeah, thanks for coming to Salem. Here's your souvenirs, get the fuck out!" _I mean, how many times can you be asked if you're a witch, or who does the best tarot readings, or which museum/tour/book is the best before you lose it and kick somebody in the nuts? Add to it that I have pink hair and look only a few steps shy of becoming an anime character myself. By the time it's over I'm like, _"If one more person stares at my hair, asks me if I dyed it for Halloween, or if it's my real color I'm going to scream." _It's amazing how many people from the middle of the country are shocked by me or my co-workers. And we're not even pierced or anything! Do they not have hair dye in the Mid-West? Geez.

Anyway, I hope you'll all stay with me as I try to finish this. Keep reading and don't forget to review and let me know what you think! Thanks!! Huggles!

**BH**; Saitou…playing Sano? (blinks innocently) Why, what ever do you mean????

**Green**; Thanks so much! Please keep reading and reviewing.

**Mibuhiro**; Thanks. I'll try to update again soon.

**CrossedScarsX**; More giggles! I'm digging the giggle fits. There should be a few more to come.

**Nanami Genkaku**; Sad? Sad boo-hoo or sad pathetic? Actually, neither one sounds too good. Care to elaborate a bit? I'm curious.

**Polka Dot**; cute name. Uhm, yeah, I'm sure Megumi would've been a big help and not blown Sanos' cover or given him _any_ shit about it. Cause she's just soooo nice…

**Shiko**; H'ween wasn't too bad this year. Only 60,000 people this time. They still haven't figured out a solution to the traffic problems though. Glad you like the story, the bit with Sano hitting Saitou is one of my favs. Hee hee, I can just picture him kicking and screaming.

**Setsu**; (ducks from Saitou-like glare) Lookit! I updated! Although the suspense thing is good too… The hubby's fine and back to normal, thanks.


	7. Awaiting the Dawn

**Authors'** **Ramble**;

Hello! I'm still alive! I'd like to thank all of you who have read my little foray into fan fiction; especially those who've reviewed, your comments and praise mean a lot! Thanks for sticking with me, hope I don't disappoint. Having said that I have to say this is not a terribly interesting (nor long) chapter, though necessary.

* * *

Saitou smirked as he headed back to the police station. This had turned out to be quite a pleasant evening after all. He lit a cigarette and replayed the recent events in his mind. 

(Flashback-earlier that evening)

Saitou prowled the darkened streets of Tokyo. He'd managed to avoid being assigned to that asinine western costume festival. Just what the hell playing dress up like a bunch of children had to do with the deceased he couldn't fathom. / _Ridiculous_ _Western ideas. / _He caught the sound of faint whistling and the 'clack clack' of sandals approaching. He stepped back into the shadowed opening of an alley. A young woman soon came into view. She was quite tall and graceful but seemed a little too well dressed for this part of town. Ruffians' Row was where lazy, annoying freeloaders like the ahou lived, not pretty young…wait a minute. Is that… / _The ahou?_ /

Saitou stared in shock as he caught a good look at the womans' profile. There was no mistaking it; he'd recognize that brash rooster head no matter what he was wearing. He'd just never expected to see him dressed like **_that_**! And looking so… _good_ too.

A sly smile slowly spread across his mouth. This was just too good not to take advantage of. Either there was a side to the fighter Saitou had never suspected or he'd gone to that ridiculous costume event. He slunk quietly out of the alley and followed the young man, undetected.

When the two thugs dragged Sano into an alley he'd been only mildly concerned. He knew firsthand the fighters' strength and expected the ex-gangster to come waltzing out momentarily. However, when after half a minute or so no bodies came flying out of the alley, he began to wonder whether or not he should step in.

"PHUGGIN BIDTH!"

"NO! Get the fuck off me!" / _Ahou!_ / That decided it.

He crept into the darkness, unnoticed by the group ahead of him. _/ Ah, so there were two more. /_ His musings were cut short when the young man was knocked unconscious. He mentally sighed in mild annoyance. / _**When** is he going to learn some defense?_ /

"Get that damn kimono off her so we can play with our new 'friend'."

Saitous' eyes narrowed in anger. He stepped forward. "I don't think so." His voice was cold fury.

Dispatching the would-be rapists was ridiculously quick. He wiped his katana off and sheathed it. A pained moan drew his attention and he went to help the young man up. As Sano calmed down from his initial panic at Saitous' touch, he studied the young fighter. Even with his eyes slightly out of focus he looked… stunning. The colors of the kimono set off his golden skin perfectly and the kohl accented the deep brown eyes. His normally spiky locks hung softly around his face, probably for the first time in his life. Saitou idly wondered how he'd gotten them to stay down.

(End flashback)

Frankly, Saitou had been impressed. He wouldn't have thought such a robust young man would've been able to pull off this look, but the rooster had managed it quite well. Actually, now that he thought about it, he kind of looked like that pet transvestite of Shishios'. He grimaced at the thought of the ahou prancing about like that simpering freak.

At any rate he had found himself helping the injured young man back home, feigning ignorance of his actual identity. He decided to wait to spring the knowledge that he knew who "Suki" really was on the foolish boy for another time. Preferably in front of his friends at the dojo. He'd have the loudmouthed youngster sputtering in anger and embarrassment in record time. Rooster baiting was one of his favorite, and easiest to accomplish, pastimes. It hardly took any effort on his part for him to have the fighter riled up, face flushed, and panting in agitation. Granted, he'd rather have him flushed and panting underneath him but doubted that was going to happen any time soon. He wasn't sure the young mans' inclination even leaned that way, although he had his suspicions. He'd done a little investigating into Sanos' background (for that Kyoto business) and he hadn't found evidence of any past lovers, either male or female. In fact, there wasn't any indication he'd ever had anything more than a drinking/gambling (or in Taes' case, mooching) relationship with anyone. Even the people he was close to; that fool Himura, the Kamiya chit, that anarchistic painter, seemed to be more like siblings than anything romantic. He strongly suspected Sagara was a virgin, although how that could've happened he couldn't fathom.

_/ The boy is a walking wet dream. That he managed to survive this long with his virginity intact is a minor miracle. /_

Really, his intent had been to simply escort the troublesome brat back to his home, dress his injury, torture him at a later date about his previously unknown fashion sense and that would've been the end of it. Maybe call him Sano-chan occasionally. Offer to buy him a new obi.

But that was before the foolish boy had given himself away tonight.

He'd been surprised at the look Sano had given him. Not the nervous "Kami, please don't let him recognize me" look that he expected, but a long, lingering, _appraising_ stare. More than one, actually. He'd especially liked the goofy little grin on the roosters' face when he'd caught him staring at his mouth. _/ Probably wasn't even aware he was grinning, the silly twit. /_

He'd definitely been amused by the copious amount of blushing the ahou did. _/ I should get him to blush more often. / _He looked so…cute with his cheeks stained pink and that look of horrified embarrassment on his face, like he couldn't believe he'd just said/done that. He smiled slightly as he remembered Sano pressed against him, nose in his neck. From his appalled expression on the porch, he certainly hadn't _meant_ to sniff him. He wondered if he realized he'd also made a little "mmm" noise too when he'd done that.

That had certainly solidified Saitous' suspicions; the boy did lean _that_ way… and was seemingly oblivious to it. / _No surprise, he's oblivious to just about everything._ / The question was what to do now that he was sure about Sanos' inclination?

It was no secret the boy had a fixation on him. Sagara could deny it all he wanted but Saitou knew that by the time he'd left Kyoto Himura was no longer foremost in his mind. He'd been far too upset over Saitous' supposed death for someone who hated him. Still, he was positive that the ahou had never thought about him that way, at least not consciously. The embarrassment of being caught in a dress combined with Saitou treating him nicely had probably kept him off balance enough for his subconscious desires to peek through. / _I always suspected there was more there than just the desire to beat me in a fight. Nobody is that single minded._ / Saitou wouldn't have put up with the ahous' obnoxious behavior all this time if he hadn't thought that might be the case, no matter how beautiful the ex-gangster was.

Saitou was certain he could steer Sanos' reactions in the direction he wanted now that he wouldn't have to skirt around the question of his attraction. Saitou knew just what buttons to push to keep the rooster acting on impulse. Sagara acted on impulse most of the time, it would be best to not give him time to think. / _Pfft. Like he ever thinks._ / In fact, he was probably kicking himself right now for agreeing to go to the station tomorrow. / _I hope he's getting his beauty sleep._ /

He sped up his pace, eager to get back to his office. He had some… preparations… to make before _Sukis'_ visit tomorrow morning. Normally any of the junior officers could (and would) take care of witness statements, but this particular case was going to receive his, _personal_, attention. Oh yes, Saitou was looking forward to the morning reports. He smirked; for once the tedious paperwork should prove to be quite…entertaining.

**

* * *

**

**Yet more authors' notes and reviewer responses**;

Okay, it's been a looong couple of months. Between holiday stress, evil mother-in-laws, pet surgery, a shredded tire, the flu-from-hell, sewage line work, and a butt load of snow (40 inches at the moment and still counting) I'm exhausted. I've hardly had a moment to myself.

I'm really sorry for the utter crap this chapter is, I know it sucks. No matter what I did it just wouldn't flow right. I swear the next one is waaaay better. Really.

**Starofhades; **So glad you like it. Thanks so much for the praise! ( _blushes_ )Well, you know Sano; he has to be drowning before admitting he's in over his head. And even then he may not ask for help.

**ChaosDreamer**; I just had a bizarre 'I Love Lucy' vision of Saitou and Sano. Saitou ;"Ahou, you got some 'splainin' to dooo." Sano; "Whaaahhh!" I can't believe you suggested this to the SaiSa chick. Thank you!

**Viciouscallisto**; Well, I hope that answers your question if Saitou knows or not. Another kimono? For a guy who wears the same thing _every_ day?

**Mumei**; _Looks around frantically_ Wha! My goldfish! Oh, wait, I don't have goldfish. _whew_! Wow, two woots and a waii. Cool. I know, don't you hate it when you find a story you like and it never gets finished? I promise to finish this fic, if only to protect the lives of innocent goldfish.

**Mibuhiro**; This is the first thing I've ever written. I'm so pleased you like it, I keep thinking it's crap. Oooh, you said I have nice prose… I'm so flattered you don't think I write like a twelve year old (cause I'm not one). _giggles_

**BaikenSeishino**; Whoo-hoo! One more passenger on the cross-dressing express! Actually, you should blame SaiSa. They had a contest last year and that's what started this whole idea in my empty little head. You should check it out. There was one fic called "Turning (up) the tables" which was just sooo funny, both boys had a turn in drag.

**Aziza Kanoa**; Kami save me from giant paragraphs and run on sentences. Silly, of course Saitou is playing Sano. He's an evil, manipulative bastard. Which is why we love him so.

**Nekotsuki**; Snickering….gooood. That's actually the reaction I was going for.

**Shiko**; Yes, they actually asked if my hair color was real. I can only hope they're not breeders. ( _pours a little chlorine in the gene pool._ )

**Kamiyama**; Sano, top? As another author once said, "You can't spell Sanosuke without uke."

**BH**; Yeah, thinking things through really isn't Sanos' strong point. He's kind of a jump in with both feet then realize he can't swim kind of guy.

**Kirakit8790**; Thank you. I know this chapter is choppy (and well, sucks.) but it smooths out again next one. I try very hard to avoid spelling and grammar errors. And yeah, a polite Saitou is creepy.

**Blossom, Setsu, Ryuueki, Ork, White Dragon Black Angel, Namo, Kazuki, Serenity's Tiger, Kiki, Scorpion29, The White Angel, Cat in the Web, Inu-chan Puppy**; Thanks to all of you too! Cute and funny was what I was shooting for.


	8. Good Morning Sunshine!

To make up for the abysmal last chapter, and because I love you all so much, here's the next chappie. Don't expect the next one too soon though.

* * *

Once again Sagara Sanosuke strolled through town. Actually, he didn't stroll. He didn't sway or glide either. Nor was he whistling lightly. This time he sulked. He was in a foul mood. His ankle still hurt, although not enough to impede his walking. He was up at an obscenely early hour (for him). He had not slept well, and, of course, there was the whole being dressed up like a girl thing (again). 

Once he'd finally gotten to sleep it had been filled with dreams. Very unsettling dreams. Dreams of foul smelling ogres chasing and grabbing him. He'd been surrounded and helpless. And then a tall golden-eyed samurai would appear and destroy the beasts. Sano understood that it had been a disturbing experience. He wasn't surprised that he would dream about it. And, he wasn't upset that Saitou had rescued him, it was better than the alternative.

No, what was really pissing him off was the rest of the dream. The part where the samurai would pull Sano into his arms and he'd _swoon_ as the samurai tilted his face down towards Sanos'. **_That_** was more than he could deal with. Swooning in what were obviously _Saitous'_ arms! At least he'd woken up before he'd kissed him. He growled in irritation. It was bloody embarrassing, having a dream about that temee that didn't involve fighting. And waking up more than somewhat aroused... he stopped that thought right there. _That_ was just his normal morning condition, nothing more. Really.

' _Stupid_ _fucking dream. I'm gonna go make my stupid fucking report, get out of this stupid fucking dress and go get drunk._ ' He scowled as he remembered the dream again. ' _Stupidfucking drunk_. '

Sanosuke kept his head down as he nervously made his way through the busy police station. '_Please, don't let anyone recognize me_.' He found his way to Saitous' office without incident. As he neared the door it opened and out stepped a tall blonde officer with even taller hair.

' _Chou. Just what I need; the broom head._ '

Chou looked at the attractive 'woman' in front of him and grinned broadly, both eyes opening in pleased surprise. "Well, hallo there missy. Yah need help with sumthin'?" He sauntered a little closer to Sano.

Sano pasted what he hoped was a pleasant expression on his face and answered quietly. "I'm here to make a report about an incident last night."

The broom-headed cop reached out and grabbed Sanos' hand. "Why dontcha jus' sit right down here and let ol' Chou take care of yah, huh?" he said with a wink, slipping his other hand to Sanos' back and steering him towards a nearby desk.

' _Yeah, I bet you want to " take care of me"_. ' thought Sano in disgust.

"CHOU." Saitous' voice cut through the air. Both Chou and Sano turned to see him standing in the doorway, scowling. "Stop accosting the young lady and get to your paperwork. You're still days behind in it."

The blonde let his hands drop to his side. "Hey Boss, I was jus' tryin' ta help. The missy says she's here to make a report. I figured I'd take care of it, seein' as how you're so busy an' all."

Sano smirked slightly at the pouty tone of Chous' voice.

An icy stare was all the reply he got. Saitou strolled over to Sano and took his arm in his, ignoring his junior officer. He led the bemused fighter into his office. He turned to give Chou a stony look. "I'll take care of this. You just get to work and don't disturb me again." He closed the door firmly behind him.

Sanos' mood had perked up a little as Saitou was reprimanding the broom head. Too bad he wouldn't be able to tease him about it. He looked around the office. He'd never been in here before; every other time he'd been at the station it had been straight to the cells for him. The office was small, with a desk and chair, wardrobe in the corner and a bookcase against one wall. There was a couch under the small window on the far wall. He wondered if Saitou ever slept there. There was no sign of clutter, everything seemed to be put neatly away. Even the desk was free of paperwork. The walls had no decoration save a plain calendar; there was nothing in it that screamed 'property of Saitou'. It looked ready to vacate at a moments notice. He jumped slightly when Saitou spoke.

"How are you feeling this morning, Suki? Does your ankle still hurt?" He walked over and sat on the edge of his desk, long legs crossed in front of him. "You don't seem to have a limp, so I suppose my first aid was adequate?" He smiled wryly.

Sanos' cheeks colored slightly as the memories of the cops' touch last night flashed through his brain.

"Uh, yes. It feels fine. A little stiff, that's all."

He shifted nervously, looking down at the floor. '_Okay, enough small talk. Just take the report and let me go before this whole thing blows up in my face'. _

He didn't realize Saitou had moved until he felt calloused fingers gently grasp his chin and tilt his face up.

"You shouldn't hide yourself like that. You've got beautiful eyes you know." Amber eyes stared intently into wide chocolate brown ones. Sano felt his face heat and shifted his gaze to the side, away from Saitous'. Saitou chuckled softly. "So quiet and shy. That's not like Sagara at all." He murmured. "Are you sure you're the Roosterheads' cousin? He's loud, brash, and obnoxious."

'_I'm not obnoxious! _' His eyes darted angrily back up to Saitous'. He was still looking at Sanos' face, his mouth quirked up in an amused smirk. The fingers holding his chin relaxed, almost caressing it before letting go.

"Ah, there I go, insulting your cousin again. It's a bit of a habit I'm afraid. Will you forgive me? I'd hate to have you mad at me." / _Especially with what I've got planned for you_. / He tilted his head slightly, eyes questioning.

Sano stared at the cop who seemed to be waiting expectantly for his answer. This was the second time in twenty-four hours he'd apologized for insulting Sanosuke. ' _He looks like a puppy with his head cocked like that. Okay, so really he looks like a rabid wolf, but still_…' A small amused grin crept out at the thought.

Saitou leaned forward. "So, does that mean I'm forgiven?" he asked with a sly smile.

Sano sighed. "I suppose so. I guess you can't help it if you hate him." His voice came out more disappointed sounding than he'd expected, surprising himself. Apparently it also surprised Saitou. / _Idiot_. /

He looked at the young fighter. "I _don't_ hate him." he said firmly. Something flashed in his eyes but it was gone before Sano could discern what exactly it meant.

' _Hmm, I wonder what that was about?_ ' One thing was certain about the Wolf, he didn't lie. If he said he didn't hate Sanosuke, then it was truth. That thought made him surprisingly happy.

' _Wait a minute. Why the hell should I care if he hates me or not? Argh! Focus dammit._' He mentally slapped himself.

He shook his head slightly to clear it. "Well, I really shouldn't take up any more of your time. Just what do you need from me?" he asked. There was a moment of silence. "Um, for your report? You told me I had to file a report about last night."

Saitou just stood silent, a calculating look on his face.

Sano frowned. "Hellooo? Why are you just standing there? You're the one who wanted me here." He crossed his arms over his chest with a huff. "What? You made me come here just so you could stare at me?" He glared at the officer, waiting for an explanation.

Saitou peered at the annoyed rooster head through hooded eyes. "Hnn, yes. The report." The corner of his mouth turned up in his usual half smirk. "Never mind about it." He waved his hand dismissively. "It's not needed after all." He waited for the inevitable explosion. / _Three… two…one…_ /

Sanos' arms dropped to his sides. "Not needed?" He stared at him in disbelief. "You mean I…here…for nothing?" His eye twitched and his hands clenched into fists. He wondered silently which gods he'd pissed off to warrant such treatment. Did they know how hard it was to put on this get up properly without help? And Saitou, that bastard, making him come here like this for no reason at all! He could just scream. So he did.

"Argh! I don't believe this!" he shrieked, throwing his hands up in the air. He glared at the smirking policeman. "And you! Making me come here so early for nothing!" He jabbed a finger into Saitous' chest. "You **are** a psycho cop! I'm outta here!" He spun angrily and stalked towards the door, muttering under his breath.

He was reaching for the doorknob when a hand grasped his, pulling it gently away from the knob. "Wha!" He turned in surprise.

Saitou glanced at their clasped hands and ran his thumb lightly across Sanos' palm, drawing a surprised gasp from the youth.

"Where do you think you're going? Just because I don't need the report doesn't mean I'm done with you." He said lowly. / _Oh no, I've got plans for you._ / He slowly raised his eyes to look at Sano.

Sanosuke stood rooted to the spot by Saitous' gaze. The amber eyes burned into his deep umber ones. ' _Wh-why is he looking at me like that? _' He suddenly felt like a steaming beef pot put in front of a starving man. "I…uh…" he stammered. He tried to put some distance between them but his back hit the door. "I…I should go…" he murmured breathlessly.

Saitou leaned a little closer. "But I'm not ready to let you leave yet." His thumb traced little circles on Sanos' palm. He grinned feraly as Sanosukes' breath hitched and his eyes widened in surprise and trepidation.

' _What the **fuck** is he doing? _' Sanos' mind spun with the possibilities.

"D-don't…you can't…"he stuttered, trying to free his hand from Saitous' grip.

Saitou let go of Sanos' hand only to reach both arms out, placing his palms against the door, on either side of the fighters' shoulders.

"But I haven't done anything." he said in mock innocence. The "yet" hung unspoken in the air. His eyes glittered. "Do you want me to?" he asked huskily. / _You do, you just haven't realized it…_ /

Panic was looming in on Sanosuke. He was pressed up against the door, trapped between Saitous' arms. The cop was practically on top of him, just an arms length away. His eyes darted back and forth, looking for a way out. He hadn't a clue what had caused the normally distant cop to suddenly turn so…_lustful_, but he didn't want to stick around for the end result. Whatever those men last night might have done to him would be a cakewalk compared to the punishment Saitou would dish out if he discovered the 'woman' he'd been hitting on was actually the Roosterhead.

He let out a startled, high-pitched "Eeep!" when Saitou suddenly leaned forward, his cheek nearly touching Sanos'. His breath was hot in Sanos' ear.

"You didn't answer me."

Sanos' heart was hammering in his chest so loudly he was sure Saitou could hear it. His hands had come up automatically to block the officers' advance and were now pressed against Saitous' chest. The muscles there were hard beneath the soft jacket and he could feel the cops' body heat even through the fabric. The intriguing spicy scent that he'd noticed last night filled his nose.

"What, what do you mean?" his voice came out in a strained whisper.

Saitous' breath tickled his ear, his voice a quiet growl. "Do you _want_ me to do something?" His lips barely touched Sanos' ear as he spoke, and he felt a shiver go through the young man.

Sanos' eyes slid shut as he tried to calm his racing mind and heartbeat. He felt Saitou shift back slightly and he opened his eyes to find the Wolf regarding him with a gaze as intense as the animal he was nicknamed for.

"You shouldn't be afraid. I'm not going to hurt you. I only destroy evil, and you're far from that, aren't you?" He brought one hand down to cup Sanos' chin, his thumb tracing lightly over the stunned fighters' lips.

"Hnn, do you have any idea how _sweet_ you look? I wonder…" he leaned forward slowly. "Do you taste as sweet as you look, _Suukiii_?" He closed the distance between them, gently pressing his mouth to Sanos'.

Sanosukes' eyes grew impossibly wide as thin lips were pressed to his own.

He was being kissed.

By _Saitou Hajime_! The infamous Wolf of Mibu. Former third captain of the Shinsengumi. Sanos' self-sworn adversary, who verbally and/or physically beat him up every time they met. That arrogant, overbearing, stuck up, harsh, cricket-faced, squinty-eyed, merciless, insult-flinging, cold-hearted bastard who had the most amazingly soft lips….. Sanos' brain pretty much derailed as _that_ little thought made itself known.

With a ragged gasp he pushed at the cop and pulled his head back, breaking contact with that warm mouth.

"Wha-what the hell are you doing?" he gasped, face flushed and panting like he'd run a race.

Saitou smirked. "It's called a kiss. Surely with your looks you've been kissed before?"

Keeping the kiss soft and gentle had been harder than he'd expected. The moment their mouths touched he had to fight the urge to just suck the breath right out of the pretty boy.

Sano frowned at the cocky answer. "I _know_ what a kiss is," he spat indignantly. "What I want to know is _why_ you did that."

* * *

I know, you're all calling for my death right now. Probably a long, painful, drawn-out one too. But you can't kill me or you'll never know how this ends or if it was worth all the torture I've put you through. So there, mwah-hah-hah! 


End file.
